It’s been a hot topic for a quite while it seems, but it did seem to quieten down for a bit. So what’s got everyone talking about it again? Google. That’s what. As you all know Google updates how it ranks and finds content on the web on a regular basis.

Not so long ago Google announced “Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results.”

So what does this mean? Gary Illyes, a Webmaster trends analyst says it probably means things like “Googlebot must be allowed to crawl CSS & JavaScript to pass the “mobile-friendly” test” and “Mobile friendliness is determined at the page level – not sitewide” Which is all well and good and very interesting for us, but it might not mean much to you. What does this update mean for you? Quite simply, it means if you’re website is not responsive, if it does not pass Google’s Mobile Friendly test then you are falling behind and you run the very real risk of letting your competitors (who do have mobile friendly sites) get ahead.

Why is it important?
During the early part of this year (January, February time) we reached the landmark moment where mobile browsing overtook desktop browsing. Now this doesn’t just mean using a mobile device like your iPhone, this means using things like iPads or other tablets too. Think about the last business meeting you attended. I’ll bet someone was using an iPad or at some point checked a mobile device? This is why it’s important. In order to stay relevant and stay in front of your audience and the people who want your products and services. You need to be aware of where their attention and time is being spent. It’s no long in front of their PC or MAC. It’s now on high street walking past your shop and looking online for your product they’ve just seen. It’s sitting in a meeting at work showing people the product or service they’ve just found that will make their lives easier.

Gary Vaynerchuk talks a lot about the attention graph and how important it can but to capture the market. Now you might not be that ambitious, but at a very basic level it’s still something you need to cater for. The simple fact is people are looking at their phones much more now (just look around you) so that’s where you need to be. And with this recent update Google has now made it a factor on how well your website ranks on mobile searches too.

What can I do about it?
Get in touch today. Our main goal is to help businesses become more effective in the digital space. Any new websites we build, we make them mobile friendly and responsive as standard, with no additional costs. Why? Because now services like google expect it, so having a website built without it is like buying a car with no engine. We also help businesses update and expand on their existing digital products. This includes making them responsive and mobile friendly.

Unsure if you need help? You can test your website here with Google’s mobile friendly test.